In case anyone thought that problems of salmonella were a thing of the past, the recent outbreak of Salmonella Saintpaul in the US, which caused sickness in more than 800 people, is a timely reminder of the need for continued vigilance and good traceability in supplies. Sales of tomatoes have slumped in the face of consumer worries, costing the food industry at least $100 million in lost sales. There are no winners in these situations. Industry has lost lots of money, consumers lose confidence in food safety and questions are asked about the fitness of the regulatory regime. Frustratingly, investigators from the US Food and Drug Administration and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have been unsuccessful in identifying the source of the outbreak, despite taking hundreds of samples in Florida and Mexico.
This outbreak, the largest occurrence of salmonella linked to fresh produce in the US, follows a number of high profile outbreaks involving fresh fruit and vegetables. Fortunately, we have not experienced anything on this scale in the UK, but we are not complacent. As always, prevention is better than cure, and this requires good quality food safety management (HACCP) systems based on understanding where the critical hazards lie in the supply chain and good traceability when things go wrong – which they sometimes do, despite everyone's best endeavours.
This outbreak, the largest occurrence of salmonella linked to fresh produce in the US, follows a number of high profile outbreaks involving fresh fruit and vegetables. Fortunately, we have not experienced anything on this scale in the UK, but we are not complacent. As always, prevention is better than cure, and this requires good quality food safety management (HACCP) systems based on understanding where the critical hazards lie in the supply chain and good traceability when things go wrong – which they sometimes do, despite everyone's best endeavours.
